Clamp for mounting a road scraper blade



July 8, 1969 v. SCHIAV! CLAMP FOR MOUNTING A ROAD SCRAPER BLADE Filed Aug. 16, 1965 I I Sheet INVENTOR l a'rza'erzi ia'z'a a July '8, 1969 I v. SCHIAVI 3,454,107

CLAMP FOR MOUNTING A ROAD SCRAPER BLADE- Filed Aug. 16, 1965 Sheet 2 of 2 57 6 INVENTOR Vz rzcerzzfi 'c z av-a' United States Patent 3,454,107 CLAMP FOR MOUNTING A ROAD SCRAPER BLADE Vincent Schiavi, P.O. Box 1087, Wilmington, Del. 19899 Filed Aug. 16, 1965, Ser. No. 479,984 Int. Cl. A01b 35/20, 23/00 US. Cl. 172-719 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The instant invention embodies clamping means to quickly and efficiently attach and detach an adjustable scraper blade to the moldboard of a motor grader.

While my patented adjustable scraper blade could be fabricated as a standard or original part of a modern motor grader, it is now more common and preferred to provide the latter with a minimum of such original or standard parts and to increase the versatility thereof by adding or attaching auxiliary apparatus, as required. Accordingly, the usual motor grader is furnished with a transversely-extending moldboard located intermediate the front and rear wheels thereof; this moldboard has the usual convexo-concavo shape and is of greater width than the grader, so that each end portion projects beyond the latter.

It is, therefore, a primary object of the invention to provide clamping means for operatively securing the patented adjustable scraper blade to the original equipment moldboard aforementioned; to construct such clamping means whereby it may be operated to quickly and efficiently attach or detach the blade from the motor grader moldboard; to fashion such means that it will require no special tools for this purpose and which, in addition, is exceptionally rugged and resistant to the strains and stresses inherent in the use of road-grading machinery of the type under consideration herein.

The above and other aims and objects will be apparent from the detailed description hereinafter appearing when taken in conjunction with the appended drawings forming a part hereof and showing a preferred embodiment of the invention and to which attention is now directed and in which:

FIG. 1 is a rear elevational view of a scraper blade showing a pair of spaced clamps removably securing the blade to a grader moldboard.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view, on a larger scale, of a portion of FIG. 1 and showing one of the pair of clamps.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a view taken looking to the left from line 66 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a casting forming the pocket or saddle portion of the clamp; and

FIG. 8 is an elevational view of an optional small auxiliary clamp which may be employed.

Turning now to FIG. 1, the reference numeral 5 designates the blade or scraper; 10 the rigid upper section thereof; the spaced reinforcing ribs; 23 one of a number of intermediate angle bars extending horizontally between the ribs 20; 23c and 23d the angularly disposed walls of each angle bar; 38 the adjustable cutting or scraping edge; 40 the cylindrical housing for the edge-adjusting screwall as in my Patent No. 3,182,410 aforemen- 3,454,107 Patented July 8, 1969 tioned. As indicated, the instant invention comprises a pair of clamps for operatively securing the blade 5 to the transversely-extending moldboard M of the motor grader.

The securing clamps are designated as C and each member of the pair is constructed similarly; however, the members are mirror images, so that one member of the pair may be designated a right-hand clamp and the other a left-hand clamp. Consequently, a description of one of the clamps C will suflice for both. Turning to FIGS. 3, 6 and 7, it will be noted that each comprises a unit 50 constituting a pocket or saddle portion, a cooperating overhanging and embracing bracket 51, a connecting chain 52 and an adjustable hooked screw 53 bridging the space between the bracket and chain.

Taking up first the structure of saddle 50, shown in perspective in FIG. 7, it will be seen that it comprises a horizontally-disposed bottom wall 54, a curved front wall 55 angularly disposed with respect to wall 54 and overhanging same, and a pair of spaced side walls 56 and 57. Front wall 55 may be rigidly secured to the inner surface of side wall 56 by a line of welding 56a and side wall 57, which has an outer convex edge surface 58, is line welded to the edge 59 of front wall 55 as indicated at 60. It is within the purview of the invention to make the entire saddle structurally integral by omitting the weldingthe important object being the fabrication of a rigid structure with the several walls positioned as shown. It will be observed by looking at FIGS. 4, 5 and 7 that bottom wall 54 has an upwardly-projecting outer flange 61 integrally secured to horizontally-disposed cylindrical hearing 62 provided with bearing opening 63. It will further be seen that bearing 62 continues from the inner surface 64 of Wall 56, adjacent a corner thereof, parallel to and about half of the length of flange 61 of bottom wall 54. A vertical ear 66, having an horizontal bore or aperture 67 is rigidly fastened to the flange adjacent the corner 68 thereof thus forming a space 69. Apertures 63 and 67 are aligned, FIG. 5, and receive a removable headed bearing pin 70. A cylindrical sleeve 71 of somewhat less length than space 69 is rotatably mounted on pin 70, said sleeve having a link or eye 72 of heavy wire on its outer surface to which the terminal link 73 of chain 52 is swiveled.

The upper terminal portion of each of walls 56 and 57 has an opening 74 and 75, respectively, said openings being horizontally aligned; and each of said walls has an intermediate opening 74a and 75a, respectively, also similarly aligned. Further, the inner edges 76-77 and 78-79 of the respective walls 56 and 57 are angularly cut back to conform in shape to and receive the angular walls 230 and 23d of an angle bar 23 in a manner now to be described.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the outer surface of angular wall 230 has four spaced apertured cars 80, 80a, 80b and 800 rigidly secured thereto or integral therewith, while the outer surface of angular wall 23d has three similarly spaced apertured ears 81, 81a and 81b fastened thereto. The apertures of the respective sets of ears are horizontally aligned; the upper set of wall 230 receiving a removable bearing pin 82 which also passes thru aligned openings 74 and 75 of walls 56 and 57 with the ears 80 and 8011 between said walls-FIG. 2. A duplicate removable bearing pin 83 passes thru the apertures of the lower set of ears of wall 23d, said pin also passing thru aligned openings 74a and 75a of the aforementioned walls with ears 81 and 81a outwardly thereof. This construction seats the angular walls 230 and 23d within the similar angular pockets formed by the edges 76 and 77 and by the edges 78 and 79 of walls 56 and 57.

The front face of the stationary upper section 10 of the scraper 5 has a pair of integral spaced ears 84, 84a and a through opening 85, FIG. 6. By turning to FIG. 3 it will be seen that bracket 51 has a generally vertical ice segment 51a terminating in an apertured eye member 51b passing thru opening 85 in section 10; a removable pin 86 is passed thru apertured ears 84 and 84a and eye member 51b when aligned, with the latter intermediate said ears. Projecting rearwardly from segment 51a of bracket 51 is a generally horizontal companion segment 510 having an opening 51d. A cylindrical sleeve 516 has a reduced lower cylindrical part 51] forming a shoulder 51g which passes thru said last-mentioned opening so that shoulder 51g is seated for free rotation on portion or segment 510. Further, sleeve 51s is internally threaded at 51k longitudinally thereof for the reception of threaded shank 53a of hooked screw 53; and in addition said sleeve has a horizontal hole 51k for the reception of a removable actuting bar. The hooked prtion 53b of said screw holds the terminal link 73a of chain 52.

With each clamp C attached to a scraper blade and with chain 52 disconnected from hook 53, one end of the moldboard M of the motor grader is fitted into the pocket or saddle formed by the walls 54, 55 and 56 of the casting 50, see FIGS. 4 and 5, the contour of the moldboard and of curved wall 55 being complementary as best seen in FIG. 4. Having firmly seated the moldboard end, the terminal link 73a of chain 52 is connected to hook 53b and a metal rod or bar is inserted in opening 51k to rotate sleeve 51e on shoulder 51g whereby bracket 51 is drawn into firm binding contact with the upper edge of moldboard M as best seen in FIG. 3.

To disconnect each clamp from the scraper, it is only necessary to oppositely rotate sleeve 51e to release chain 52 from hook 53 and to remove pins 82, 83 and 86. Chain 52 may be detached from saddle 50 by removal of pin 70 so that a clamp may be transported by its component elements of saddle, chain, bracket, sleeve, hooked screw and pins.

As an optional feature, one or more adjustable hooks 90-FIG. 8may be attached to stationary part of blade 5 to engage the upper edge of the moldboard.

Accordingly, it is submitted that the aims and objects have been attained; also that various changes may be made as will occur to those skilled in the art.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A clamp for securing a scraper blade to a motor grader moldboard comprising a saddle having a curved pocket and a side wall closing one end of said pocket for receiving and abutting an end portion of said moldboard, means for attaching the saddle to the scraper blade, a bracket, means for attaching the bracket to the scraper blade, and means connecting the bracket and saddle for clamping the moldboard within said curved pocket.

2. The structure of claim 1, said saddle having a second side wall spaced from said first side wall, a front wall connecting said side walls and a bottom wall connected to one side wall and said front wall forming said pocket.

3. The structure of claim 1, said bracket having a generally vertically-extending section and a companion generally horizontally-projecting section operatively overhanging and embracing the upper edge of said moldboard, said vertically-extending section having an eye at one end thereof, a removable pin passing thru said eye and constituting the means for attaching the bracket to the scraper blade, said horizontally-projecting portion having a terminal opening, an internally threaded sleeve having a reduced portion with the latter passing thru said terminal opening, a hook having a threaded shank engaging said sleeve, said hook comprising a portion of the means for attaching the saddle to the scraper blade.

4. The structure of claim 2, said side walls each having upper and lower openings, said upper pair of openings being horizontally aligned, said lower pair of openings being horizontally aligned, and a removable pin passing through each pair of openings and constituting the said means for attaching the saddle to the scraper blade.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 10,088 4/1882 Kimball et a1. 37155 2,285,039 6/1942 Lowe 3714l 2,613,912 10/1952 Jordan 37143 X 2,852,875 9/ 1958 Bierwith et al. 3,233,350 2/1966 Malzahn et a1.

ANTONIO F. GUIDA, Primary Examiner.

A. E. KOPECKI, Assistant Examiner. 

